Vibratory hopper with feed wheel



May 23, 1950 J. B. SEBOK VIBRATORY HOPPER WITH FEED WHEEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 7, 1944 dime 0MB 5 e fink y 23, 1950 J. B. SEBOK 2,508,543

VIBRATORY HOPPER WITH FEED WHEEL Filed Sept. '7, 1944. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E LZ Patented May 23, 1950 VIBRATORY HOPPER WITH FEED WHEEL Joseph B. Sebok, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Houdaille-Hershey Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application September I, 1944, Serial No. 553,004

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in dust feeding apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for feeding a predetermined amount of dust, powder, comminuted material, or the like, although the invention may have other uses and purposes as will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

In the past, difficulty has been experienced in supplying a predetermined quantity of dust, powder, or finely comminuted material to some apparatus undergoing test or to be supplied with such material. For example, in various test runs of filters, air cleaners, and similar equipment, it is essential to supply the dust or dirt in a proper amount over a specified period of time in order to ascertain the efiiciency of the device under test. Considerable difficulty has been heretofore experienced in the supply of dust or dirt to air cleaners under test in that the proper amount could not be supplied within the proper time, and in many cases it was almost impossible to ultimately determine just how much of the initial amount had been supplied to the air cleaner and how much had been lost during the attempt to supply it to the air cleaner under test.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the instant invention to provide apparatus capable of delivering accurately a predetermined amount of dust within a predetermined time.

Another object of the invention is the provision of apparatus for feeding dust, or similar fine material, and embodying a mechanical feeding means capable of delivering a uniform amount consistently.

Still another object of the instant invention is the provision of a feeding apparatus for supplying dust or other fine material in which a portion of the apparatus is subjected to vibration or agitation to insure uniform feeding.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a feeding apparatus of the character set forth herein in which a part of the apparatus is agitated to insure uniform feeding, and in which the rate of speed may be changed at will without changing the rate of agitation.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a feeding apparatus of the character set forth herein which embodies a feed tube and the structure is so arranged that that feed tube is automatically kept clean and free from any accumulation of the dust or other fine matter passing therethrough during the operation of the 2 in the provision of a feeding apparatus of the character set forth herein embodying a delivery tube for the dust or other finely comminuted material being fed and a, diffuser into which the delivery tube discharges the material, the diffuser and the delivery tube being so arranged as to prevent entrapment of fed material within the diffuser.

Still another object of the instant invention resides in the provision of a dust feeding apparatus embodying a plurality of sub-assemblies which directly handle the dust being fed, these sub-assemblies being readily removable from the main portion of the structure so as to permit weighing of the sub-assemblies before and after test runs.

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantages of the instant invention have been above pointed out, others will become apparent from the following disclosures, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a fragmentary side elevational view of adust feeding apparatus embodying principles of the instant invention, showing the same associated in operative relationship with an air cleaner undergoing test;

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the apparatus taken substantially as indicated by the section line'1III of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan sectional view taken substantially as indicated by the line IIIIII on Figure 2.

As shown on the drawings:

At the outset, it should be understood that where the term dust is used herein and in the appended claims, the same is to be considered as synonymous with and including powder, comminuted material, and similar fine particle substances.

The illustrated embodiment of the instant invention includes a base I upon which is disposed a. frame structure comprising a pair of spaced vertically disposed supporting plates 22 held in such position by suitable spacing elements 3. The frame members 22 provide a suitable bearing support for a pair of spaced shafts 4 and 5. These shafts carry the drive transmitting means for the motive parts of the apparatus.

Mounted on the base I is a suitable prime mover such as an electric motor 6 which may be provided with a suitable gearbox I, if so desired. From the gearbox a drive shaft 8 extends "on the outer end of which is a pulley 9 drivingly" ,ferent steps of the respectiveipul eys.

is accomplished by means of a stepped pulley arrangement I2 keyed to the shaft 5, and a similar but oppositely disposed stepped pulley arrangement l3- lgeyed .to the shaft-'4 A suitable belt 14 istra'inedover corresponding segments.

10 the wheel 35. Resting upon the ball inside the ..%"f .l 'bu1ar guide is a rod 42, and the upper end of of the stepped pulleys l2 and I3, depending upon what speed of rotation is desired from the shaft; 4. Obviously, the speed of rotatignof the shaft 4 may be changed. at will by the ope'rator'; by the 1 simple expedient of shifting the belt j i tgdif Near the top of the outer frame member 2 a sub-assembly is removably mounted- This sub; assembly includes a frame l5 having a leglfi thereon pivotally associated with a fixed'trans-l.

20 It will be noted that regardless of the speed verse supporting rod Ila-a removable pin l8 in he e he r l m it iiie h re .e. ne t n h ieme i5. e r e b tt it int t e etlte b .ieenier e e ie l eieee i. ii y te e mee e Th e p erhee e tub lar a sgharge vnozzle 20 inside of which i sfa et Whee 21 arr ed e11 f hei fiz' fie -li er 9H1}? i e The eheit anaediise'qaenu the wheel 2| is rotated fr he e e by me ts ie pulle 2. a belt il r e ei ieet tee eet r e d. eithei ttfi- Ti s t r ie e. appa ent. that. thei ee.

through a feeding tube 26 having a flared-ray it ee end 21-, T i i e iee ube 2 i a e t o n the ieeievebly mounted. e i re eembl a Whieh.

me ee ei'i ere ly fe eeeeedeli ery-tube .281. fixedly d i e e of n e re .e e 2.9.

ett ii it? Tiles" eliite lfl elet 3 l'.. r.e. .Llfe i engagement over the shank of a boltj l by means i h te. the b tee eete ev le etteei ee te a W r erenc t F ure 1. 1

e eeev nit ee iii t e ererse direc o -1. he

-,Y.-.t ee i e eie ee .:.be. eenne tedtee;

1 43 19? i lll tle l t yely l h ;pr ssure,;and

he i eplee ien eiitl e ext nt the. feed tubemside; the delivery tube is such that ;'1' h ;'1 "Wi 1:he a- Venturi efiect, thuspreating a suction tending tolgeep thefeed tube; Zjigfree-of dust at ;all times. Othe W ds the feed tu e ze eutema icaily.

i eeeed'by the-a r pa sin hr u h the l r be Thiea under pressu e carries thedust";

0 matically cleansed qf the .dust that, traveled remw hje tee tube Z ithrough thefdelivery'tube to a diffuser 33 which is of considerably larger e et r than the deliver tube.- LWithJeieri f fetei he del er ube. ent rs the, d ffuser, as-indicated at. 3.4}, alniost at'the bottom 'of the andd e e e stendivery far into t ed gu er, .se as to eliminateany pockets for the undesired i i epmeet. 9 deetdeli er d to the diffuseri n orde to. insur an eve de ivery of "the 2 api ly eenes su s e. emai pe 3 e eeneeit ib e sev tx-iethe eete ee...

el te, 1 i be note tha the endgf 5 rotated by means of a belt 3'! on a pulley 38 fixed to the shaft 5. A tubular guide element 39 carried by a bracket 40 attached to the outer frame member 2..-has;a ball 4 l freely disposed in its lower open end to ride upon the serrated rim of rod d sposed beneath a projecting portion 43 ofthe' aforesaid pivotally mounted frame I5.

I the wheeifi rotates, therefore, the ball 4| {1Q -and rod-.42 arev agitated by the serrations on the '1 of thewheel, and this agitation is transmitted through the frame l5 to the hopper l9 so that th'e'dirt Withinthe hopper is constantly caused qto, gravitate downwardly upon the feed wheel 2|.

e ee itet ee e h teed he l twh e may b tie ib shit-ties t e bel :14. elene h i fer t. SFEWQHEQ ul e s. e d. as ab ve e a n d he .eeees ei'eei et en. iii. th heee ee y .-.25. eeii e. ee t b t e ei h i e th the Whe ieet es t e. eiiet nd, ete at e constant speed regardless of the speed of the,

shaft.

t r eeieele in the. t st g o n air .30. l ?e e .the feed g apparatus may be disposed e tfeeet tiei 't i e eee r ll enter e eft e. eed.wi eelfiileeeii ed ssin e inte the feedyvheel is operatiewhee e e lee -i heeeeiiee i t t t edteine e an ee e r k e .eiieeiiete eely eie j e ee 21 e =Whe.e om

ny suitablesour a lt'eht.bla5t. .of; ai is carried mi ens .eiee yetyle e .8 t wa d. the di fu r 33 he dust entering e feed pipe 261s transtev iine e e iee tt e inelt Tn ed st is deve d. the e ii sereti an from/, reit is t iiilet e g e of. t e-e cleanen. ter. the K eenex t e emptaxt e .emeuntor dus suck d 55' collected in the air cleaner may be determined.,

erethr u.sh,.. fi s/ever, .in: order .to insure. an

ccu ate test; the. sub-assembly including the frame .!5, the feed wheelzLand thehopper 19 I is. remove bythe. simple, expedient ofwithdraw- 1-05 mfg? tiief in 5 18am lifting the sub-.assemblylater weighed, and its weight checkedwith the weight of: the same. subas'sembly before "the operation.

dust, that is a predeterminedarnount .withi-n a37 Thus, it may befidetermined-whatamount of dust,

pr ete m ne t me d pending upon thelspeed of urin zope e if-any, lodged inrth'is i'sub-assen'ibly instead of being delivered to. theiair. cleaner. like manner, therother subaassembly including i the feed tube 26, the delivery tube 2 8, and the difiuser-33 eife attlglis ag tation af-lielaitively large=wheel"35rJ&..may'.be:removechand its after 'weight checked ni #55 3 9??? bethf v avity. qfiq and by virtue of the suction created by the ,air

t f... he e1 ravel nesthnoueh the pipe 1 with its weight before the test was started. Whatever dust may have remained in the feeding apparatus at the end of the test may then be subtracted from the amount of dust originally placed in the hopper and that result utilized in calculating the efiiciency of the air cleaner.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that I have provided a feeding apparatus which is simple but highly emcient in operation, and is capable of delivering a predetermined amount of dust, powder, or other -finely comminuted material within a predetermined length of time, such delivery being steady, uniform, and accurate. Further, the device lends itself to the accurate determination of the efficiency of some object undergoing a test by the fact that sub-assemblies may be removed from the device and weighed before and after test runs. It will also be appreciated that the device is highly durable, capable of long life, and may be easily cleansed in the event it is desired to change materials to be fed.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a dust feeding apparatus, a supporting frame, driving means on said frame, a sub-assembly including a supply hopper and a motive feed element carried by a sub-frame pivotally connected to said supporting frame for free movement bodily relatively to the supporting frame, said feed element being actuated by said driving means, and agitating means actuated by said driving means and carried on said supporting frame in contact with said sub-frame, said driving means being arranged to permit variance in the speed of said feed element while the speed of said agitating means remains constant.

2. In a dust feeding apparatus, a supply hopper, motive feeding means associated with the outlet of said supply hopper, a. toothed wheel adjacent said hopper, and means connected to said hopper and freely riding the toothed surface of said wheel to agitate said hopper, the last said means including a tubular guide, a ball in the lower portion of said guide freely riding on said wheel and a rod freely resting on said ball.

3. In a dust feeding apparatus, a supply hopper, motive feeding means associated with the outlet of said supply hopper, pivoted means supporting said hopper, a toothed wheel adjacent said hopper, a fixed tubular guide, a ball held by said guide and freely riding on the toothed part of said wheel, and a rod resting on said ball and abutting a portion of said pivoted means to agitate the same and said hopper.

JOSEPH B. SEBOK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 83,782 Morgan Nov. 3, 1868 397,215 Ballard Feb. 5, 1889 420,385 Horan Jan. 28, 1890 423,121 Brown Mar. 11, 1890 468,868 Fickett Feb. 16, 1892 749,300 Kemp Jan. 12, 1904 887,247 Geiger May 12, 1908 1,090,120 Scott Mar. 10, 1914 1,174,141 Giesen et a1 Mar. 7, 1916 1,292,004 Miller Jan. 21, 1919 1,473,757 Dorsey Nov. 13, 1919 1,641,149 Bernert Sept. 6, 1927 1,662,529 McKinley Mar. 13, 1928 1,724,113 Small Aug. 13, 1929 1,754,121 Sammis Apr. 8, 1930 1,875,036 Leake Aug. 30, 1932 1,880,452 Hulslander Oct. 4, 1932 2,099,315 Prochazka Nov. 16, 1937 2,164,483 Watson July 4, 1939 2,228,371 Shaw Jan. 14, 1941 2,262,879 Beckey Nov. 18, 1941 2,265,720 Daniels Dec. 9, 1941 

